Just Do It

Back in the late 80's, Nike, Inc., (fomerly Blue Ribbon Sports) contracted an advertising and marketing company, Wieden+Kennedy, to come up with a slogan for their new campaign.

Dan Wieden wanted to convey a no-fear mentality that Nike was after--- the shoe company was vying to be seen as more than "just athletics," attempting to be considered vital gear for everything in life.

Wieden was reminded of the last words uttered by one Gary Gilmore about a decade before.
Gilmore was a petty crook who took a dark turn for the worst, killing two men in Utah in cold blood for little gains.
What made him notable: his was the first sentence following a lifting of the killing ban from the US Supreme Court's decades-long hand-wringing on the issue.
Added drama: ACLU tried to intervene while Gilmore told them to butt out.
Even more: Utah had two options for death sentences, the old fashioned rope-a-dope or bullets to the heart.
Apparently Gilmore felt a hanging could be botched whereas several bullets hitting the heart usually does the trick quickly.

Final word time, Gary Mark Gilmore: "Let's do it!"
No fear-tinged histrionics; bring it on.

I'm sure most folks don't think about death when they're headed to spinning-yoga-aerobics-general fitness classes... nor do they consider themselves murderers on death row, trying to overcome their inbred fear.
I just thought it was marvelous to consider how inspiration which led to a Nike revolution (went from an 18% market share to a whopping 43% in the ensuing ten years) found its germination in the final words of a tormented soul facing the beginning of his assured eternal misery.

Originally posted by FreakyKBH
Back in the late 80's, Nike, Inc., (fomerly Blue Ribbon Sports) contracted an advertising and marketing company, Wieden+Kennedy, to come up with a slogan for their new campaign.

Dan Wieden wanted to convey a no-fear mentality that Nike was after--- the shoe company was vying to be seen as more than "just athletics," attempting to be considered vital gea ...[text shortened]... ation in the final words of a tormented soul facing the beginning of his assured eternal misery.

Oh, don't be so glum; he may have prayed the sinner's prayer before he died! I mean, no reason the guy has to suffer just because he's killed a few people; there is NO degree of sin so bad that Jesus' blood can't wash it all away!

Given his total lack of fear at his own demise, I can only draw the one conclusion. Only Christians are so calm in the face of death, because they are the only ones truly assured of eternal life.

And now he's got a killer 11-figure (the economy in heaven in two words: fracking awesome!) endorsement deal on the shoes he pioneered, and is living it up with JC and Saint Peter inside the pearly gates.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
Oh, don't be so glum; he may have prayed the sinner's prayer before he died! I mean, no reason the guy has to suffer just because he's killed a few people; there is NO degree of sin so bad that Jesus' blood can't wash it all away!

Given his total lack of fear at his own demise, I can only draw the one conclusion. Only Christians are so calm in the fac ...[text shortened]... on the shoes he pioneered, and is living it up with JC and Saint Peter inside the pearly gates.

"Glum?"

Doesn't the adjective marvelous confer superb; excellent, great?
I think you may have missed the intent of the post.

This brings to mind one of those questions...or dilema's ...after living an evil life a guy can make a deathbed conversion and be saved....then I guy can lead a long life loving and worshiping God...but in his final days blasphem and curse god for some worldly issue ....dude dies before asking before coming around to ask forgiveness,,,dies with hate in his heart...banned to hell for eternity

Originally posted by pete3246
This brings to mind one of those questions...or dilema's ...after living an evil life a guy can make a deathbed conversion and be saved....then I guy can lead a long life loving and worshiping God...but in his final days blasphem and curse god for some worldly issue ....dude dies before asking before coming around to ask forgiveness,,,dies with hate in his heart...banned to hell for eternity

Like walking around with the winning Powerball® ticket in your pocket... procrastinating until next week to go cash it in.

Originally posted by FreakyKBH
"Glum?"

Doesn't the adjective marvelous confer superb; excellent, great?
I think you may have missed the intent of the post.

It was the last sentence that got me.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
It was the last sentence that got me.

It hit me pretty hard, too, buddy.
Thinking of that poor kid, 37 years old, always a loser, leaving this dirt with nothing but pain to show for it, never a leader, never a man, never respected.

It's enough to break my heart.

Originally posted by FreakyKBH
never a leader, never a man, never respected.

It was like looking in a mirror

fixed.

Originally posted by FreakyKBH
It hit me pretty hard, too, buddy.
Thinking of that poor kid, 37 years old, always a loser, leaving this dirt with nothing but pain to show for it, never a leader, never a man, never respected.

It's enough to break my heart.

And I care about you far too much to sit by and watch your heart get broken.

Hence the words of reassurance offered earlier.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
And I care about you far too much to sit by and watch your heart get broken.

Hence the words of reassurance offered earlier.

You really can't add what isn't in the story.
There is no recollection of a death-bed (chair?) conversion.

Just the words of a man completely without reason for hope, eschewing fear nonetheless.

Originally posted by FreakyKBH
You really can't add what isn't in the story.
There is no recollection of a death-bed (chair?) conversion.

Just the words of a man completely without reason for hope, eschewing fear nonetheless.

I just don't get how you can be sure of anyone's eternal fate. The thief on the cross went to heaven. It's supposedly God's decision. Only he supposedly knows the condemned man's heart. Supposedly, if that condemned man repented, and cried out for salvation, he would be saved, even if no one but God could hear him.

Maybe I misunderstand your theology? You're up.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
I just don't get how you can be sure of anyone's eternal fate. The thief on the cross went to heaven. It's supposedly God's decision. Only he supposedly knows the condemned man's heart. Supposedly, if that condemned man repented, and cried out for salvation, he would be saved, even if no one but God could hear him.

Maybe I misunderstand your theology? You're up.

No, you're right: each person's salvation issue is between them and God only.
It is God's decision, and He has already extended it to everyone: everyone starts of with the names written in the Book of Life; only those who consciously choose against Him have their names blotted out.

I fervently hope that at any point in Gilmore's life he made that decision.
After all in his younger days, he had expressed a desire to become a man of God so he certainly could had already accepted the gift.

That being said, there are rewards to be considered, both for the hereafter as well as for the her and now.
Call them consequences of thoughts and actions.
Even if Gilmore had accepted the gift earlier in life (and is now face-to-face with God in heaven), he lived a life which not only offered no succor, it culminated in a death of peace-less fear.
You cannot live like he did and have any rest or comfort, therefore he faced death fraught with unknowns.
In my speculation, I don't imagine him assured of being welcomed into the loving arms of his Creator; I suspect he was highly distraught and concerned regarding what was coming next.

That brings me to the part about it being marvelous: the soul resilient, made of stuff stronger than even we imagine.

John Wayne Gacy demonstrated an equally unbowed spirit--- albeit laced with the anger which braided his entire life--- uttering three words as well: "Kiss my ass."

Yes.

Surely, we *know* we are saved, because it was promised to us. God does not lie.

If someone else wants to rebut this with "Pshaw, God doesn't exist", then cool, good luck with that.